We spoke to Mark Lynas, author of 'High Tide' and 'Six Degrees' about his motivations, hopes and fears about climate change. You can find out more about his work, and read his blog on his website.

1. What motivates you about climate change?

 I feel that climate change is something that has very personal relevance to me. I now have two children, so that gives me a very direct stake in the future habitability of the planet, but even before that I realised that climate change was the most important issue of our time, and that solving it was extremely urgent. Reducing emissions is also very practical and achievable - I've tried to do it as much as possible in my own life, to prove that to myself.

2. What's precious to you in Oxfordshire?

I grow a fair amount of our own food on a nearby allotment, so I'm already very conscious of how the weather is changing. During summer droughts I get quite anxious about water supplies, for example! I also noticed how there were caterpillars on my brocolli plants right into December, which was very unnatural. I worry very much about losing what's special in our countryside - like Wytham woods, for example - as many of our familiar plants and animals struggle to survive in a warmer climate.

3. What's your vision of Oxfordshire rising to the challenge of climate change?

We're already seeing towns and villages in Oxfordshire rising to the climate challenge. Where I live in Wolvercote we are now aiming to become a low-carbon village, and are organising on a street-by-street level to make this a reality. In many ways conventional politics has failed so far to respond, so bottom-up working seems to be the way forward. Ultimately I'd like to see Oxfordshire as a carbon neutral county - could it be the first to go that way?

4. What contribution to the challenge are you most proud of?

 As a campaigner I see myself very much as part of a movement on climate change, so my own contribution will necessarily be a small one. As a writer I'm glad that both my High Tide and Six Degrees books have been received very positively by critics, and that I get some very positive feedback from readers who say they have now changed their minds and decided to become active. Of course it's very difficult to by precise about what impact a book has, but I hope they've made a real difference.

 

5. What's next after 'Six Degrees'?

After Six Degrees I want to put some work into seeing how our future without fossil fuels could actually be a very positive one - this is a shift we should be making anyway, even if carbon emissions aren't a problem. Reducing car use, for example, means less people killed on the roads, children freer to roam in the streets, more healthy bodies and minds thanks to cycling and walking, and stronger local economies with people shopping locally - to name just a few. Across the board, what's generally seen as a sacrifice could actually be a boon.

 6. If you had no electricity for a week, what would you miss most?..and what would be the best thing?

With no electricity I'd miss my laptop - I'm a constant user of email. I use it much more than the phone, and miss it when I don't have access - even though most of the time it's a drain on time and energy! What I wouldn't miss at all is the TV - I hardly ever turn it on.

7. One word about how you feel about climate change?

I don't have one word which sums up my feelings on climate change. Some days I feel cautiously optimistic, then something happens which tips me into despair. I think most of us have these mixed feelings - it's only human after all...